Keep faith to fight for NHS

When Jeremy Hunt became Minister of Health the words “enemy within” came to mind.

Mr Hunt previously called for the NHS to be dismantled as it was no longer relevant.

To promote someone with these views into the premier position gave suspicions that our Prime Minister had an ulterior motive. It’s unimaginable a man of Jeremy Hunts’ beliefs could have the political will to improve the NHS.

What’s indisputable is, since Mr Hunt’s presence, the health service has gone from bad to worse.

With management pressure and provocation leaving junior doctors with no other alternative but for them to strike in defence of their patients’ safety.

Doctors currently work a seven-day emergency service.

The crux of the matter is management is demanding doctors extend their five working days to seven, without providing any additional resources such as more doctors, nurses or money.

It would leave the already overstretched doctors going like the clappers with many finishing up with acute exhaustion.

That’s when mistakes are made.

An example of what could happen came from a 32 year old paediatric surgical registrar. She regularly works 25 hour shifts, foregoing breaks because of the nature of the job. She eats while walking and catching two seconds to go to the loo.

What she fears is the new contract will remove safeguards that prevent managers from “making us work unsafe hours”.

Everyone should support the junior doctors who are fighting for patients safety and the future of the NHS.

Remember, there is an ingrained hostility within Tory ideology toward the health service.

The NHS founder recognised this when he warned, “As long as there’s people left with the faith to fight for it, the NHS will always be there”.